In Loving Memory:

River Hart VanderKloot

River VanderKloot passed away at the age of 18 on Tuesday, March 28. He will be dearly missed by the communities of the Columbia Gorge.

He is survived by his father, Robert VanderKloot from Hood River, Oregon, his mother, Dagmar Gardner, and his stepfather, Thomas Larimer from White Salmon, Washington, and his sister Autumn Salisbury-VanderKloot.

River had a beautiful mind that drove an insatiable wonder about the world. His curiosity drove his deep love for reading. One of his many attributes was the ability to distinctly recall facts on history, people, or nature that he had read years earlier. He loved to share those tidbits of knowledge, often at times he found amusing. More so, he had a wonderful wry sense of humor that made the world brighter. He looked at life through a lens of perfect sarcasm, cynicism, and practicality. He made us laugh. Finally, being a true Northwest kid, River loved the rain. He was at his happiest when the mountains to the west were shrouded in a heavy blanket of storm clouds. The beauty of the Columbia Gorge on a wet winter day always fueled his imagination and brought him peace.